The winner of Bulgarian Idol, Nevena Tsoneva:
This is so interesting, because she's using Bulgarian vocal ornaments as a stand-in for Whitney Houston's American melismas, and is totally rearranging the tonal feel of the song in the process. (The Bulgarian word for the basic sharp vibrato ornament is "tresene", I'm told, but I don't know the names of the other ones, nor the specifics of the tonality involved.)
She occasionally copies a phrase of Houston's melisma note-for-note, which is remarkable, because her ornaments and Houston's seem to be tuned and inflected very differently. When she does this, it's as if she is slipping into an American accent.
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I don't know you, but I'm a friend of Gen Roudane. I posted this same clip in my Bulgaria blog (I'm living in Sofia for the summer). I think this video clip is hilarious, especially the use of the brass band. It would have been cooler if she'd put it in a Bulgarian rhythm though... Anyway, thanks for your insight. Noz drave.
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